I'm currently working on a library for persistent storage of bean-like objects in Java. It is a solution to the problem of dealing with relational databases which have the unwanted effect of destroying any hope of building business applications in an object oriented fashion (yes, I know this is an overstatement, so leave me alone to rant). Local EJB CMP (Container Managed Persistence) is a great step, but just not quite far enough. Anyway, a group called Prevayler has come up with another approach to this problem which they have ported to quite a number of programming languages, including Java [Slashdot]. It seems that their solution is to store serialized objects in memory that periodically get dumped to disk. 7:05:35 PM    comment []  

I have straddled the fence between Microsoft and open-source products for years. As a software developer, I generally choose open-source tools and libraries. I currently favor Java, Resin, Linux and MySQL for the projects that I work on. On the other hand, despite a couple of years of using FreeBSD and then Linux on my desktop, I currently use Win2k and XP as a primary desktop environment. This is because all of the tools I use can be run on Windows and many of them cannot be run on Linux (e.g. Quicken, Paint Shop Pro, Homesite). Of course, there are Linux alternatives to these tools, but they are not, generally, as featureful and easy to use.

All of this may be in the process of changing. The Microsoft anti-trust verdict hasn't modified the way Microsoft does business, but the continued progress of open-source projects combined with a general distrust of Microsoft is creating the potential for a large reversal in their fortunes. Today I read one of the most thorough editorials on this topic that I have ever read [Automation Access][via Slashdot]. This is a must read for anyone interested in how things are shaping up in the open-source vs. Microsoft battle. 6:52:31 PM    comment []  

Almost a year ago, a Peruvian congressman, Dr. David Villanueva Nuñez, introduced a bill that would limit the software used by public agencies to only software that is available as open-source. Obviously this was extremely disturbing to Microsoft who wrote the congressman about the many reasons the bill should not be passed. Dr. Nuñez' rebuttal is one of the best written papers in support of open-source that I have read [here]. His case is especially strong as a choice for government institutions [via Automation Access]. 4:26:38 PM    comment []